(ATR)The 2024 Olympic bids and fallout from the Russian athletics doping scandal will dominate the talks of the European Olympic CommitteesGeneral Assembly in Prague, Nov.20-21.
Negotiations have been taking place for some months to co-host the 2019 European Games in Kazan and Sochi. However, if the World Anti Doping Agency deems Russia is not WADA Code compliant, the country's ability to host Olympic sporting events could be called into jeopardy.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced they will attend the two-day meeting.
Items on the agenda for the EOC General Assembly also include a final report on the 2015 European Games.
Some 300 representatives from across the Olympic Movement are expected at the meeting.
Around the Rings European correspondent Brian Pinelli will be in Prague to cover the EOC General Assembly.
Bidding workshop for 2024 cities
The cities bidding to host the 2024 Olympics are meeting with IOC officials at a week-long series of workshops in Lausanne beginning Nov. 16. At the workshops, representatives from the 2024 bid cities will explore best practices in hosting the Games.
Budapest, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Paris and Rome are bidding to host the 2024 Olympics. The IOC votes on the host city at the 2017 Session in Lima, Peru.
ATR European editor Mark Bisson is in Lausanne for the bidding workshops.
Rio 2016 test events
The table tennis test event for the 2016 Rio Olympics will be held atthe Riocentro in Barra da Tijuca, Nov. 18-21.
The 2015 Aquece Rio International will host teams from the seven leading national table tennis associations, based on rankings released in May 2015, and host country Brazil.Additionally, eight men and eight women are invited to compete in the men's singles and women's singles events.
Table tennis competition at the 2016 Olympics will take place Aug. 6-17.
WADA in Colorado Springs
The World Anti Doping Agency Foundation Board and Executive Committee will determine whether the Russian doping agency has been non-compliant during their Nov. 17-18 meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Last week, the WADA Independent Commission delivered its explosive report that detailed systemic doping cover-ups in Russian athletics.Since then, the IOC, WADA, and International Association of Athletics Federations have taken swift actions against Russian athletics.
Host Cities Summit
The 2015 Host Cities Summit opens in Dubai on Nov. 18.
An international delegation of current and future host cities, and the heads of leading sport bodies, will gather to discuss "effective strategies for winning and hosting major sporting events."
The summit, which ends on Nov. 19, will focus on ways an event like the Olympics can leave a "positive economic and social impact" on a host city.Global experts will host a series of panel debates, case studies, round tables and workshops on the process of staging major sporting events.
Written byNicole Bennett
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